Projects / 10/7/2024

Carnival Elation: a cruise ship renovated with Mapei products

Mapei products contributed to refurbish the restaurant of this luxurious cruise ship

Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Elation, a popular cruise ship, underwent a complete refurbishment in August 2017 at the Grand Bahama Shipyard. The project faced challenges due to the approach of Hurricane Irma, which temporarily halted work. By using Mapei solution for the marine industry, contractors effectively addressed the ship's corrosion and wear, ensuring a durable and quick return to service for the 2,130-passenger cruise ship.

Webster’s dictionary defines “elation” as “a feeling or state of great joy or pride.” Without doubt, that word is an apt description for the travelers on Carnival Cruise Line’s cruise ship, Carnival Elation. Sailing primarily from Jacksonville, Florida, and measuring 261 m long, the 2,130-passenger Elation sails multi-night cruises to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean islands.

One of the line’s most popular cruise ships, Carnival Elation is a floating city. The thousands of partying, dancing and sunbathing tourists take a toll on her decks. Additionally, spilled drinks and food, as well as constant exposure to salt water and sea air, create a corrosive environment that cannot go unaddressed for long periods of time. So, every three to five years, the Elation undergoes complete refurbishment.

At the end of August 2017, Carnival Elation sailed into dry dock at Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas, for her scheduled complete refurbishment.

Diners at Carnival Elation cruise ship enter and walk across a level floor of ceramic tiles, installed on top of PLANIBOND EBA, bonded with GRANIRAPID and grouted with warm gray ULTRACOLOR PLUS.

A jobsite different from one on land

Precetti Inc. was the general contractor awarded the job of refitting the mid-ship pool area of Deck 10 and Nova Marine Service LLC won the bid to completely refurbish Tiffany’s Lido Restaurant on Deck 10 aft, as well as the SPA Carnival lobby and the corridors on Deck 12 forward.

As Elation was entering the Bahamas dry dock for rehabilitation, a storm was forming off of Cape Verde in the central Atlantic Ocean. By August 31, that storm developed into a Category 3 hurricane named Irma. The Bahamas were right in Irma’s path. As a safety measure, the islands were evacuated and work on the Elation came to a halt. By the time that work resumed on the cruise ship, the race was on to complete the rehab and return it to service.

Mapei products on the jobsite

When working on the shipboard pool and surrounding bars and restaurants, contractors applied a thin layer of the anti-corrosive primer MAPECOAT GUARD 100 to the prepared surface. Then, to level and protect, the crew used the brand-new, Marine-certified, self-leveling polyurethane underlayment MAPEDECK LITESCREED mixed with MARINE FILLER 20. The Marine-certified, thixotropic polyurethane underlayment MAPEDECK LITESCREED TIXO was used to level the uneven vertical steel in the pool beach and coamings. KERAPOXY as an adhesive and KERAPOXY CQ as a grout were used to install the ceramic tiles in addition to the pool mosaics.

As for the Tiffany’s Lido Restaurant as well as the SPA Carnival lobby and the corridors in the forward area of Deck 12, the steel deck had been worn down by high levels of foot traffic to a point of noticeable unevenness. ULTRAPLAN 1 PLUS cementitious underlayment, which is manufactured and distributed in the Americas by Mapei Corp, was used to-level the steel substrate. This was topped with PLANIBOND EBA epoxy bonding agent, which is also manufactured and distributed in the Americas by Mapei Corp. After a broadcast of quartz sand, ceramic tiles were bonded with GRANIRAPID and joints were grouted with ULTRACOLOR PLUS in its warm gray color. The Mapei products used in the project provided rapid setting time and curing speed as well as vital durability.

For the renovation of the swimming pool, products from the Mapei Marine line were used, which ensure high quality and durability over time, capable of withstanding water and weathering.

Technical Data

Carnival Elation, Dry-docked at Freeport, The Bahamas

Year of construction: 1998

Period of refurbishment: August-October 2017

Period of Mapei involvement: August-October 2017

Intervention by Mapei: supplying products to refurbish the-ship pool area of Deck 10, Tiffany’s Lido Restaurant on Deck 10 aft, SPA Carnival lobby, corridors on Deck 12 forward

Contractors: Precetti Inc. and Nova Marine

Mapei coordinator: Guido Sardi, Mapei Corp. (USA)